I waded 30 minutes into a screener for botsw. I couldn't take it. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be most impressed with the precosiousness of the girl, the 'brilliant' cinemetography, or the unique convergence of several political backstories..

But there is their usual self-congratulatory-ness, and there's the "This was brave" and "This is an important film" and "We are making a difference"-level self congratulations. (Think of the year Philadelphia was nominated and Tom Hanks won)

And you know what the worst thing is? Do you? All these people especially the ones with weird little names will be crossword entries. So that the finest crosswords of all will contain at least five or so Hollywood references. And it's a real pisser when they ask for the name of the screenwriter. Like that one last night, eeewww that makes me mad.

And I know for a fact constructors scour the industry magazines for actors with weird names, hoping their show takes off sufficiently to qualify their name as fair game.

So now everything looks like a puzzle out of a T.V. Guide and since I know these people, I know what they look like and sound like and the things they say in conversation, I go, "WUDDAYA DOIN' WRITING FOK T.V.GUIDE or sumpin?" BLAM straight to trash.

The Oscars used to be something that we'd sit down and watch together as a family but it has lost that over the years. I'm no longer interested, my son is totally uninterested; my wife and daughter only watch the dress pageantry pre-show. The Oscars badly need a makeover of some sort and I don't mean a bigger load of Ryan Seacrest.

Wow. Lots of movie haters that skulk around this blog. I like the movies for lots of reasons. I reluctantly went and saw Lincoln and ended up liking it so much I saw it twice. I really enjoyed Life of Pi too, and Argo. Ben Affleck should have been nominated. I can’t speak to Django as I have no interest in seeing it. I’m simply not a fan of Tarnantinos style. I will likely see ZDT; although it’s just opening up here this weekend.

One of the reasons I've resisted seeing Lincoln is that it's one of those movies made simply to win awards. There is a certain smug self-assurance in the production that just screams "give me awards" that turns me off. And they time the release perfectly for that purpose also.

Following Newton massacres attention was drawn to the serious social problem of mass murders at public places and films are awarded that address the issue directly. The documentary, "Mass Murders Stopped by Gun Wielding Security" follows the events surrounding fifteen such incidences and is awarded Oscar for "Shortest Documentary" Ultimately not that interesting a film, he tried he died, he tried he died, he tried he died ...

The Academy Awards are just the biggest in a long, tiresome series of "Aren't We WONDERFUL!!" celebrity awards shows for movies, TV, music and Broadway. You'd be hard pressed to come up with enough money to induce me to watch any of them.

Beasts of the Hollywood imagination are what we called being poor and uneducated. But since the target is now destruction of Western Civilization based upon Christian mercy, free will and intrinsic value of human individual rather than a collective tribe of all men on Gea's Earth ruled by Shamans, this is what our children are being fed.

Not yet having seen ZD30, I can't see how the nominations (or lack of them) amount to "punishment". To some degree, I suspect any "punishment" is due to it's Ms. Bigelow's covering similar ground to her "Hurt Locker", and it's being treated as not much more than a sequel.

Judy Dench should have gotten a supporting actress nomination for "Skyfall". She gave a speech so great that it could only be followed by a gunfight involving the entire cast,

The feature documentary category is nothing but films I've never heard of. Probably all actually "Made for TV" films submitted for Oscars. I'd rather have Michael Moore have five films up and nominated rather than that. His films at least see the insides of theaters.

I could kvetch about the snubbing of 2016: Obama's America. But having seen it, I'm not fond of its premise. I don't believe Obama is deliberately trying to sabotage America. I think that gives him way too much credit, and turns him into a bad parody of a Bond villain. I don't buy into the pseudo-psychology it uses to make its point. The real Obama is bad enough that a straw man alternate version is not necessary. It's low grade conspiracy theory, not an Oscar worthy film.

Hollywood punished ZDT for being insufficiently ant-Bush / pro-Obama. Also, there's a scene towards the end when the SEALs are standing over UBL's body and they radio back to HQ: "Geronimo.....for God and Country".

...and i have seen zdt. I wont spoil, but justification for the controversies is there- the use of torture, the way the 'facts' were acquired, the squaring of those 'facts' with the actual events...and the political ramifications thereof.

and just one more on ZDT: I dont think the kack of nominations is a snub, excepting Bigelow not getting a nod. Theres really only one major character surrounded by ensemble. it would be hard to justify a supporting actor nomination..

"EMD said... Great. Another thread where everyone can tell us how much they hate movies."

Yeah, exactly what I was thinking. It's surprising how people complain about movies and Hollywood being so preachy and self-absorbed (legit criticisms, BTW) in a manner that makes the complaints and complainers themselves sound preachy and self-absorbed. So much unintentional irony.

Some of the readership here does continue to like movies, and are willing to recognize that there are films worth seeing that aren't necessarily narcissistic, preachy works.

Well, actually if you haven't seen a movie, you should shut up about that particular movie.

Scene/Unseen was a great, now-defunct podcast where two younger guys (film students trying to break into the business, I always assumed), would each review a movie. One saw it while the other soaked up all the marketing for the film - posters, trailers, web campaigns and such - but deliberately didn't watch the film. Lots of insights into what it takes for a film to succeed - on many levels.

"And I'm especially not buying that abysmal dialogue/disgusting idea: 'I see that I'm a little piece of a big big universe.'

"Bullshit religion substitute."

I haven't seen BOTSW and I don't know if I'd like it or dislike it, (or be indifferent to it). That line of dialogue coming from a 5 year old's mouth is unlikely and shows the hand of the filmmaker more than one might wish, but it's not impossible a 5 year old could or might say that. However, why is it a "disgusting idea?"

It is indisputably factual: each of us is a little piece of a big universe. "We are stardust," as the song lyrics tell us. This is not mere poesy or sentimenaltiy, but is literally true. There need be no religious or spiritual interpretation of this reality. It merely points out that we are all of the same matter; metaphorically, it recognizes that we are all in the same fix, namely, we live too briefly, often endure too much woe, and must die.

I have never watched them or any of the other award shows. I also never quite got the whole celebrity thing. These are people that are paid to lie (actors) or people that are paid to play kid games (sports stars). They should be happy simply to get paid.

I think the Romans (or was it the Greeks) had it right, actors were shunned and not permitted in polite company...

I can understand Tarantino getting burned on blowback for his 20 year long violence porn rut in light of the "badly mistimed for the Oscar nominations" school massacre.

But Tom Hooper? 80% of the directors nominated lack his basic skill level and talent to have even attempted a film version of Les Miserables!! (And that includes Spielberg)

And Ben Affleck is like Robert Downey Jr - completely redeemed from his professional nadir - at least as a director. 3 Awesome movies in a row..Gone, Baby Gone, then The Town, then Argo. Argo rated a spot, particularly when fans and critics said it was standout stuff all the way.

And Bigelow maybe was a little too brave and her approach to making a good movie got in the way of Hollywood politics this time.

Thats the directors.

And the last Batman, a superb flick that made over a billion globally, and Skyfall also finely done ....are as expected ignored as "proletariate fodder" by the elites. For a black version of Waterworld with yet another precocious girl the gays can gush over.

My money is on Anne Hathaway to win best actress. It's seldom that you see a major star with such a bad haircut. While it's true that anyone can get a bad haircut, only a major star can get a bad haircut and still look gorgeous......Is there anyone in the entire world who wants to see Amour?

EMD said...My view has to be tempered by the fact that I liked Avatar.

Thank you for the honesty.

================Avatar was good. What hurt was the idea that it could have been truly great, had Cameron invested 1/100th the money he put in FX into writers who could have given him a far better screenply than the nursery school leveal "Noble, wisest of all 3rd Worlders in harmony with all vs. the ignorant greedy fools of civilization" crap he wrote on his own.

Beasts is for and about rural Southeners. As such it was a great film. We do not get many films made about us and our people. I left the movie in tears. I am a 70 year old kick ass white gun owning Southener. I knew everybody in that cast. Best film since Winter's Bone. No way Yankees or Madison law professors can "get" either one. You and the horse yall rode in on.

This thread sort of exemplifies why conservatives suck at the arts. Beasts was a very great movie; as art it appeals to the senses in an interesting way (which is what good art is supposed to do) and makes meaning out of settings and situations that are similarly unconventional. And, sorry to disappoint Shouting Bigot, but the little protagonist is actually part of a community in the movie that is mostly white. If he was hoping for a "racial lesson" to feel condescended by, he would have sorely missed out on it. Poor, poor Shouting Tommy!

Also, what is this bullshit about "religion substitute"? Religions succeeded because they appealed to the limited artistic imaginations of primitive peoples. If you think Passion of the Tortured, Tortured and Oh So Bloody Christ is better art, or perhaps a better "art substitute", then say so. It's just as graphic as Beasts, but limited in the range of sensibilities it can appeal to in people.

And anyway, if you're so down with how religion is a poorly abused but REALLY great and wonderful thing, then where are all the god-damn posts glorifying scriptural depictions? You can't condemn something for attempting to copy something else unless you hold the thing you accuse it of copying in high esteem. Unless you're a poseur, of course. I can hear it now, Althouse as a late-life middle-school student, complaining about imitation fashion designer labels! Oh, the fucking humanity!